We’ve been having a lot of fun playing in the snow this year. So I was excited to review the Intricacies of Snow and Pine Trees unit studies from Creation Illustrated. We also had access to the Creation Illustrated magazines that accompany these nature unit studies. The girls learned more about snow while covering science, language, math, geography, art, and religion.

The Intricacies of Snow

Snow doesn’t fall very often here in Vancouver. I think we had about a week of snowy days this year, and about the same last year (although the snow didn’t melt right away last year). When it does snow, the girls love heading outside to play. There’s way more to this fluffy white stuff than I thought, and we had fun learning all about it through the Intricacies of Snow.

The unit study expands on an article in the Winter 2018 issue of Creation Illustrated. The girls and I read the article together online. I loved how the article wove faith lessons with science lessons, showing God’s amazing work in a little snowflake. Sunshine really enjoyed reading the magazine and said this article was her favourite part of the unit study.

This unit study is geared for Grades 5-8, but Sunshine and Lily (grades 4 and 3) were able to do it with a little bit of help. I actually printed two copies of most of this homeschool unit study, so that Sunshine and Lily could each work on it. They took turns looking up Bible verses and vocabulary words, and each wrote their own essays.

The girls did a Bible study on snow, studied the geography of snow fall, drew snowflake shapes, examined the science of snow, and learned more about vocabulary words related to snow. The unit study included hands-on activity ideas like making snow crystals and paper snowflakes. There were also links to more videos and articles for the girls to watch about snowflakes. In fact, I was amazed at how much was packed into this one unit study!

Sunshine and Lily both enjoyed looking up Bible verses about snow. We tend to think of the Holy Land as a hot place, but snow is actually mentioned quite a few times in the Bible! In this activity, the girls were asked to determine whether the reference to snow was literal or figurative. We had some neat discussions about each Bible verse and what it meant.

As a homeschool parent, this unit study was super easy to use. I appreciate having resources prepared for me so I don’t have to put a lot of extra time into planning our homeschool. I know there are lots of resources online, but I don’t always have the time to go through links and videos to check that they are appropriate for the girls. This unit study provided those links for me so I didn’t have to go hunting for them. There was also an answer key at the back of the unit study, to check the girls work on all the assignments.

I love the way that unit studies can cover multiple school subjects while focusing on one topic. I used this unit study for our schoolwork for the week before spring break. It was a great way to take a break from our regular curriculum and transition into a holiday. We spent an entire week on the unit study, but you could easily spend more or less time on it, depending on your child’s age and study abilities.

Winter is in the air,

In the wind that stirs my hair;

It’s the icy taste

Of the snowflake’s lair

As it creeps south, inch by inch.

Winter is in the air,

And the birds fly to places fair;

It’s the silent fall

Of the snowflakes here

As they drift down, two by two.

~ Bonnie Way

Next Up: Pine Trees

We also received the Pine Trees unit study from Creation Illustrated. I’m looking forward to jumping into this with the girls because pine trees are one of the most common trees here in BC. Many of our hikes take us through evergreen forests, so it will be neat to learn more about these beautiful trees.

I usually use year-long curriculum in our homeschool. We’re beginning to finish up that curriculum, though. I’m using these unit studies to fill in some gaps as we finish other books. It’s a bit early to start summer vacation, so I’m glad I found these resources from Creation Illustrated.

With the weather warming up here in BC, the Pine Trees unit study will be a great segue into some day hikes and field trips. Pine Trees is intended for kids in grades 3-8, so it would also be fun to use with a homeschool co-op or for homeschooling kids in multiple grades. This unit study is based on material in the Fall 2017 issue.

To find out more about these unit studies, click the image below to read other homeschool reviews. A Net in Time has a great overview of the Pine Trees unit study, which she also used as a “break” from regular curriculum for her son.

More about Creation Illustrated and other Nature Unit Studies

Creation Illustrated is entering its 25th year of publishing. They use Christ’s method of teaching through the things He made. Readers call it “the Christian answer to National Geographic!” Each edition is divided into 3 sections: Creation Illustrated . . . in Nature . . . in Scripture . . . in Living, which provide a balance of Mental, Spiritual, and Physical enrichment in each issue.

Every issue includes an Instructional Guide to glean vital homeschool lessons from various articles. There are also new coloring, photo, and poetry contests for homeschoolers and even Genesis Cuisine recipes for Mom. Print subscriptions, back issues, products, and FREEbies (including another Sample Digital Back Issue, a Sample Unit Study on Fragrance, a character-building lesson, and more) are available on the website.

The Creation Illustrated magazine is for all ages, and the Creation Unit Studies primarily target Grades 5-8 with benefits available to other age groups as well. My girls are slightly younger than the target audience, but had no problems with the unit study. Subscriptions to the ad-free quarterly PRINT editions of Creation Illustrated are for 1 year and available for 25% off on the website. Creation Unit Studies are available to download at 30% off and can be used by multiple students in one family.

About The Author

Bonnie Way is a homeschool mom with five children ages 11 to 1. She has a B.A. in English (2006) and a B.A. in Writing (2014). She grew up in Alberta and now makes her home in Vancouver, BC. When she's not blogging or homeschooling, she enjoys downhill skiing, exploring Vancouver's parks, drinking coffee with friends, reading, and playing board games with her family.

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